Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has cautioned the Rivers
state Governor Rotimi Ameachi against blaming his predecessor, Peter Odili, for
the woes he suffered before and after the 2007 governorship election in the
state, saying he (Obasanjo) should rather be held responsible.
The former President, who made the open confession on Monday
while commissioning some projects executed by Governor Amaechi in Eleme Local
Government Area of the state, said he was directly responsible for why he
(Amaechi) was denied the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship ticket for
the said election.
According to him, there was a report that indicted Amaechi
at the time which made him decide against his securing the party ticket for the
election.
Obasanjo, who said he had no apology for taking the
decision, added that he believed he had done the right thing at the time.
“I want to acknowledge your courage. I phoned the governor;
I hope he will remember and I said, ‘Governor Amaechi, don’t take anything
against your predecessor because whatever decision was taken about you, hold me
responsible, not your predecessor because I was the one fully in charge.
“So, if anything has been done because I took a decision
that I believe is right, that I believe I should take when I took it, I have no
apologies. This is because I don’t take decisions lightly.
“When I have to take decisions, some that I find very
important, I fast and pray before I take them. I ask for God’s guidance and direction,”
Obasanjo said.
After Amaechi, who was then the speaker of the state House
of Assembly, was denied the party ticket, he went to court to challenge the
party’s decision.
He went through all the levels of judicial hierarchy in
Nigeria and eventually got favourable verdict at the Supreme Court.
Though he (Amaechi) did not contest the election as he was
still in court while it was held, the apex court declared him winner of the
election earlier won by the PDP candidate, Celestine Omehia.
Recalling that at a time, he was one of those that felt the
Supreme Court’s verdict was awkward, Obasanjo said those who were not satisfied
with the ruling should wait for the judgement of the ‘Supreme Being.’
“The governor talked about K-leg. I believe that as a
leader, when I have something that requires action, that action must be taken,
otherwise I am not a worthy leader.
“A report came about
him, which indicated K-leg, and I said yes, there was a K-leg and as a result
of the K-leg, what was could not continue to be what it was. Rotimi (Amaechi)
did what is required in a democratic dispensation; he went to court to
straighten the K-leg.
“I am one of those who when he (Amaechi) got the judgment or
the verdict found it awkward. I did not voice it out publicly, but I found it
awkward. Awkward in the sense that how can a man who has not contested an
election, a man who has not been voted for be declared the governor?
“But I mused about it and people went to a higher court. I
think he (Amaechi) took it to the Supreme Court and in the Supreme Court, he
won. As far as I am concerned, that is the end of the K-leg.
“If anybody is not satisfied after that, he has to wait for
the judgement of the Supreme Being up there. So, the K-leg has been
straightened; not only that, after his first term, he (Amaechi) contested and
won with a landslide. Then what K-leg are you talking about again?”
He praised Amaechi for his efforts towards developing the
state through the execution of infrastructural projects, saying, “I feel proud
that by association, I am part of the work you are doing in the area of
infrastructural development, particularly education and road transportation
infrastructure.”
Speaking earlier, the governor said he brought the former
President to Port Harcourt to showcase what he had achieved in the past seven
years, describing him (Obasanjo) as a good leader.
He disclosed that he got the idea of the model school from
Achimota in Ghana while he was in exile in the West African country.
“Each of the schools has a capacity of 1,050 students and
two persons per hostel room, equipped with such gadgets as computer and other
facilities,” he said.
Projects commissioned by the former President include Chief
G.U. Ake Road, Ken Saro-Wiwa Road, Elekahia-Rumuamasi Road, Okporo Road, Model
Primary Health Centre, Akpajo, Songhai Farm, Afam Power Station and Ambassador
Nne Kurubo Model Secondary School.
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